Water level at Mae Kuang Dam

[drbill]

I was was having lunch at the restaurant over looking Mae Kuang on Thursday and see no noticeable

difference. It's known as Thai water management. The same management that caused the floods a few

years a go.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Also low: Huay Manao, in Sanpatong (or Mae Wang probably, not sure. Amphur Creep happens all the time.)

This should basically be water everywhere:

Edited October 21, 2015 by WinnieTheKhwai

[LawrenceN]

This will be my last photo. This was an experiment. It has been much less interesting than I imagined, downright boring in fact. If I do it next year, it will be less frequent and I'll choose a better vantage point. Thanks for your comments and encouragement.

[Moontan]

Thanks very much. I'm sure a lot of us appreciated it. Maybe next year could be a team effort. If we settle on one vantage point different people could share the task

[chiang mai]

Thanks very much. I'm sure a lot of us appreciated it. Maybe next year could be a team effort. If we settle on one vantage point different people could share the task

+1 - I'll be happy to take my turn at the lens if we can get enough people involved. Lawrence, your efforts much appreciated by many.

[maanoi]

Sad to hear you are stopping. I find it very interesting.

[MESmith]

Someone needs to go back in March. See if they can walk across the route the ferry goes...

[Mapguy]

Well, all this has been interesting and I have enjoyed the photos. i hope someone will keep providing them.

Now, for some "inside information." Take it as you wish.

The manager of this reservoir has told me he is intensely frustrated by the balancing act he must walk between the needs of farmers downstream and the needs of urban areas (e.g., the broader Chiang Mai urban area, which is obviously growing by the hundred-square rai). And, in the past few years, there have been some more strategic concerns about balancing outflow as part of the system further downstream; that is, the important hydrologic strategy to protect the larger urban areas much further south. Need I say where? His large local problem has perenially been to educate farmers and coordinate "responsible" use of water. He says (to translate) "It is like herding cats!"

Now, we don't have to add anything about golf courses (PRIMO consideration locally for many THAIVISA subscribers! ) or drought due to significant climate changes (earthwide), do we?

Right now, pray for rain! BIG rain, just like Chiang Mai had four years ago, as I recall. Well....I guess we have to wait for next year, now. So, turn off your taps when you can --- and golfers with your love of ever green fairways....... What can anyone say ??!!

Edited October 24, 2015 by Mapguy

[LawrenceN]

To clarify, I found it boring because the reservoir didn't fill. I anticipated something like time-lapse sequence in which we would see the weeds drown and the beach recede.

Thanks for that manager's perspective. Not too surprising. If I were a farmer, I would be looking at alternatives to rice.

Does anybody know what's going on alongside the main road into the dam, the road from Hwy 118 with the big sign, north of Doi Saket? There is an earth-moving project on the north side of the road. Possible new reservoir? That might help supply tap water.

[Beng]

This will be my last photo. This was an experiment. It has been much less interesting than I imagined, downright boring in fact. If I do it next year, it will be less frequent and I'll choose a better vantage point. Thanks for your comments and encouragement.

I found this a rather interesting documentation (not boring at all). Water level was clearly below the tree-line the whole rainy season. Seems it will get worse next year.

[drbill]

This will be my last photo. This was an experiment. It has been much less interesting than I imagined, downright boring in fact. If I do it next year, it will be less frequent and I'll choose a better vantage point. Thanks for your comments and encouragement.

I found this a rather interesting documentation (not boring at all). Water level was clearly below the tree-line the whole rainy season. Seems it will get worse next year.

[drbill]

I think that it will be lower before next year...seems like the rainy season is over,at least

in Mae Rim,Huay Sai.

This is a major water supply for Chiang Mai. We'll never see bottom of

course since the water intakes are well above " sea floor" level.

We had an overly high level in 2011 not because mismanagement by the lower echelon

but for political reasons . Heavy rains and limited out flow in hopes of providing a third

rice crop and more support for Taksin through the use of his mouth piece sister for more

votes. It back fired. Every thing down stream was flooded and the blame as always was

placed on a lower level individual listening to orders.

We now have a less rainfall rainy season and an over reaction and mismagement which

started before the most recent coup.

We are really dependent on the weathe now. Let us all hope for more rains next year to

get the water level up to normal levels.

Just my opinion and observation of Thai politics over many decades.

[CMBob]

We had an overly high level in 2011 not because mismanagement by the lower echelon

but for political reasons . Heavy rains and limited out flow in hopes of providing a third

rice crop and more support for Taksin through the use of his mouth piece sister for more

votes. It back fired. Every thing down stream was flooded and the blame as always was

placed on a lower level individual listening to orders.

Just my opinion and observation of Thai politics over many decades.

One does have a right to one's opinion but some might argue that one doesn't have a right to one's own facts.

Really nice theory although some might argue that it's totally based on obvious bias versus any relationship to reality. Hint: Yingluck Shinawatra became Prime Minister (after Democrat Abhisit) in August of 2011. Given the flooding started at the end of July of 2011 and the extraordinary high dam levels already existed at that time, your theory gets awarded a few Pinocchios....

[drbill]

We had an overly high level in 2011 not because mismanagement by the lower echelon

but for political reasons . Heavy rains and limited out flow in hopes of providing a third

rice crop and more support for Taksin through the use of his mouth piece sister for more

votes. It back fired. Every thing down stream was flooded and the blame as always was

placed on a lower level individual listening to orders.

Just my opinion and observation of Thai politics over many decades.

One does have a right to one's opinion but some might argue that one doesn't have a right to one's own facts.

Really nice theory although some might argue that it's totally based on obvious bias versus any relationship to reality. Hint: Yingluck Shinawatra became Prime Minister (after Democrat Abhisit) in August of 2011. Given the flooding started at the end of July of 2011 and the extraordinary high dam levels already existed at that time, your theory gets awarded a few Pinocchios....

[drbill]

We had an overly high level in 2011 not because mismanagement by the lower echelon

but for political reasons . Heavy rains and limited out flow in hopes of providing a third

rice crop and more support for Taksin through the use of his mouth piece sister for more

votes. It back fired. Every thing down stream was flooded and the blame as always was

Common knowledge that Taksin controls Chiang Mai,and the north of Thailand.

placed on a lower level individual listening to orders.

Just my opinion and observation of Thai politics over many decades.

One does have a right to one's opinion but some might argue that one doesn't have a right to one's own facts.

Really nice theory although some might argue that it's totally based on obvious bias versus any relationship to reality. Hint: Yingluck Shinawatra became Prime Minister (after Democrat Abhisit) in August of 2011. Given the flooding started at the end of July of 2011 and the extraordinary high dam levels already existed at that time, your theory gets awarded a few Pinocchios....

[taotoo]

Does anybody know what's going on alongside the main road into the dam, the road from Hwy 118 with the big sign, north of Doi Saket? There is an earth-moving project on the north side of the road. Possible new reservoir? That might help supply tap water.

AFAIK it's an existing open pit mine - I think they may just be digging it out a bit more toward the road. The walls aren't very thick, so not sure it's intended to be a reservoir, though I think there are a few others nearby that perhaps do have water in them (disused?).

Re Yingluck: have no idea about that other than she did pay a visit to the dam a few years ago (I remember cos my dog pissed on the chair that had been set out for her the day before).

[flyDelight]

Amazing difference... This was on a Sunday in 2010 with my housekeeper and dogs, then already it was meters lower then a year before.

[MESmith]

I was out & about east of San Kamphaeng this weekend. Major canals were flowing. Surely not releasing from the dam? Might have been runoff from last weeks rain.

[JimGant]

Mae Kuang still releases water every 3-4 weeks -- latest last week. For what reason, I don't know. Yes, the folks with their blue pipes in the canals get a sniff of water for a short duration. But, hey, the reservoir is nearly empty -- why not conserve for the tight times to come? Do they really think, "might as well release the water, otherwise it will evaporate?"

I live near Doi Saket, so I assume my municipal water comes from the Mae Kuang reservoir. Is that assumption reasonable (vice the main reservoir serving Chiang Mai proper)?

Anyone have a logical reason as to why the periodic releases of Mae Kuang water -- when the end is so near?

[anto]

I was up there last week .The Dam level is low for sure but still has a lot of water .(maybe less now after Songkran ).